Protective body coverings and garments, medical and surgical drawers and the like



, M. M. DEUTZ 2,828,745 PROTECTIVE BODY COVERINGS AND GARMENTS, MEDICAL *AND SURGICAL DRAWERS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov.

April 1,1958

INVEN TOR, .D

MHRIE N EUTZ, BY

HTTORIVEY United States Patent PROTECTIVE BODY COVERINGS AND GAR- MENTS, MEDICAL AND SURGICAL DRAWERS AND THE LIKE Marie M. Deutz, New York, N. Y.

Application November 3, 1955, Serial No. 544,652

1 Claim. (Cl. 128-287) This invention relates to the structure of medical and surgical drawers, protective garments and coverings.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved construction for articles of the character mentioned, to confine a body drip, wound discharge and drainage, avoid bed wetting and specially adaptable for use on patients in conditions involving colostomy, hemorroidectorny and other indicents in surgery and treatment, and for use by hospital patients generally. Of course, items following the teachings of this invention are useful in many other instances; the specific uses mentioned being given as mere matters of example.

A further object hereof is to provide a novel and improved construction for articles of the class mentioned, which can be laundered and which are reasonably cheap to manufacture, easy to use and eflicient in carrying out the purposes for which they are designed.

Other uses and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

One form which this invention may assume, may be a sheet structure adaptable to be donned to make a drawers-like garment. It consists of an outer sheet of water-proof material as for instance of sheeting known as Velon. Inward of its perimeter, there are superposed layers of absorbent sheet material, as for instance of flannel fabric in any suitable manner secured onto the outer sheet. Said outer sheet also carries an absorbent tape around the flannel pad, meaning around the perimeter of such pad; said tape being spaced from such pad to leave a lane on the outer sheet exposed between said pad and tape. Said lane is preferably endless, but there may be some slight interruptions. Of importance is that nearly all of the tape shall be spaced from the pad. In use, the pad covers that part of the body from which there is or is likely to be a discharge of fluid substance. In the preferred construction, the tape is enclosed in a hem or tunnel made of or formed from the outer waterproof sheet. The seam of such hem or tunnel which is near the pad is loose or is otherwise provided with openings adjacent the thickness of the tape so that if there is any excess fluid substance in the clear lane on the inside surface of the outer sheet, it could enter to be absorbed by the tape. The tape serves as a sort of fence to protect the bed linens of the patient or the clothes of a wearer. Any liquid substance on the clear lane of the outer sheet, can run therealong and may never touch the tape, for it may be absorbed by other portions of the pad it may reach along its movement, or merely wet said lane.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 shows an article in the form of a drawers-like garment embodying the teachings of this invention. The garment is shown worn by a patient.

Fig. 2 shows the article laid out flat on its outer surface. What is seen is the inner surface thereof.

2,828,745 Patented Apr. 1,. 1958 Fig. 3 is a pattern showing the absorbent plies in slightly modified form.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken in lines 33 in Fig. 2.

One practical form which this invention may assume, may be a drawers-like garment indicated in the drawings generally by the numeral 15. It is convenient to make it of a fiat ructure denoted generally by the numeral 16, comprising an outer sheet 17 of Velon or other plastic or rubberized fabric-like sheet material to give waterproof quality. The inside surface of sheet 17 carries one or more plies of superposed absorbent sheets as flannel, to form an absorbent pad 18. The shape of the outer sheet 17 is such that its reduced mid-section 19 serves as a crotch covering while one end section 20 covers the seat, sides and overlaps in front of the wearer 21, and the other end section 22 covers the abdomen and part of the sides of the wearer. The mentioned overlapping is done by the corners 20' of section 20, which also overlap the section 22. Said corner regions are provided with buttons, snaps or other cooperating disengageable means 23 to hold the drawers-form.

The absorbent pad 18 is inward of the perimeter of the outer sheet 17. On said outer sheet, on the inside surface thereof, and preferably surrounding the perimeter of the absorbent pad 18 and spaced therefrom, is an absorbent tape 24 held in a tunnel which may be the hem 25 and the tunnels 24', all of course made of said Velon or the like. The seam 26 is loose and of course, is away from the actual perimetrical edge of structure 16. It is to be noted that in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, there is a clear endless lane of the inside surface of the outer sheet 17; such lane being indicated by the numeral 27. It is preferred that the free inward edge of the hem overlap shall be a little beyond the seam 26, so as to provide the channel 28.

The absorbent pad 18 may be securely or detachably mounted onto the inner surface of the outer sheet 17, in any suitable manner which will not affect the required waterproof quality. It may be cemented on or even machine stitched because it is found that water does not seep through the needle holes filled with thread. The lane 27 may be interrupted by slight webs'18" extending from the modified form of padding 18; such webs being secured by the hem seam 26 (not shown). Such construction would provide one way of mounting the absorbent pad.

The absorbing capacity of the pad 18 should exceed the amount of discharge which is probable during a predetermined period, from the wound or organ covered by such pad. If the garment is not changed in time, or if the amount of discharge is more than was figured, or if discharge is guided to the lane 27 although parts of the pad 18 may still be dry or not fully saturated, such overflow would be spread by body movements of the wearer over a region of said lane and possibly may even be more than to wet across the lane. In such instance any excess overflow would enter the channel 28 and even through the seam 26, whereupon it will be absorbed by the tape 24 and be cached within the tunnel structure offered by the hem 25 and the like. Thus no excretions will reach the bedding or other clothing.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein shall be deemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claim rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

, r 3 i I claim:

In a protective covering for a part of the human body subject to discharge of liquid substance, an outer sheet of waterproof material, atleast one layer of absorbent matrial on thecovering surface of the outer sheet; said absorbent layer being inward of the perimeter of said outer sheet, a tape of absorbent material carried on said same surface of the outer sheet; said tape being spaced from substantially all of the absorbent layer and extending substantially about the entire perimeter of said absorbent layer and a tunnel-like structure of waterproof material along said tape and housing the same; said tunnel having openings along the tape, adapted to receive drippings from the absorbent layer which cross the space between said'layer and the tape; that portion of the material form- 2,828,745 t a I o lit ing the tunnel part which covers the surface of the tape which is away'from the surface of the outer sheet, extends free laterally beyond the longitudinal edge of the tape which is nearest the absorbent layer, whereby such extending free portion and the outer sheet between the tape and the absorbent layer, form a channel adapted to receive liquid drippings from the absorbent layer which cross the space between said layer and the tape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

